British soldier to receive posthumous VC for bravery in Afghanistan

A British soldier who gave his life to save his comrades is to be awarded the
Victoria Cross for his bravery in Afghanistan.

Lance Corporal James Ashworth, 23, was on patrol with the Reconnaissance Platoon of 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province when they were engaged in battle with Taliban fighters on June 13 last year.

Fighting inside a number of enemy-held compounds, he intentionally put himself in the line of fire, saving the lives of others as a result.

He was said to have been at pains to ensure no civilians were at risk of being hit, but he himself was killed by the blast from a grenade.

He quickly proved himself a fit, capable soldier, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said after his death.

Described as an “exceptional individual”, he was said to be a very fit and popular young serviceman who would be remembered for his strength in the field and “sense of fun” in the barracks.

He was also a talented footballer, representing the Battalion on the pitch as well as playing for his local team when at home in Kettering, Northants.

The MoD said he was a professional soldier to the core who had had a bright future ahead of him.

He left behind his mother, Kerryann, father Duane, sisters Lauren and Paige, brothers Coran and Karl, niece Darcie and his girlfriend, Emily.

They paid tribute to him after his death, saying: “We are devastated by the loss of our son, brother, uncle and boyfriend. He meant the world to everyone and has left an irreplaceable hole in our hearts.”

Lieutenant Colonel James Bowder, Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, said at the time: “Lance Corporal Ashworth was an outstanding soldier whose loss has moved us all.

“A real self-starter, he excelled in everything that he undertook. Fit, strong and brilliant at his job, he set the bar very high. Indeed, such was his calmness under pressure, his charisma, and his selflessness that he made an exemplary junior leader.

“Lance Corporal Ashworth had fitted a great deal into a relatively short time.

“Having already served with distinction in the Guards’ Parachute Platoon, The Queen’s Company and then most recently in the Battalion’s Reconnaissance Platoon, he was destined to go a long way in the Army.

“Lance Corporal Ashworth’s death leaves a hole in the Battalion - we have lost one of our very best soldiers. The Battalion, and indeed the broader Regiment, will never forget this quite exceptional man.”

Guardsman Jordan Loftus, Reconnaissance Platoon, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards described him as “a really good bloke and great soldier.”

He said: “Selfless, brave, courageous; words like these don’t come close to what Ash demonstrated that day. He will be missed by all as a commander, but most of all a good mate.

Last night Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, a former member of the SBS, paid tribute to the soldier’s bravery.

“A Victoria Cross shows outstanding courage,” he told The Times. “My heart goes out to his family but the award must make his regiment and all who knew him very proud.”

Only 13 VCs have been awarded since the Second World War, and only two this century – to Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry, of 1st Battalion, Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment in 2005 for actions in Iraq, and posthumously to Corporal Bryan Budd of 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment in 2006 for gallantry in Afghanistan.

The medal has been bestowed a total of 1,356 times since it was instituted by Queen Victoria to cover all actions since the start of the Crimean War in 1854.